LGBTQ+ immigrant from Mexico teaches dance in rural California

Gil Ramirez immigrated to the U.S. more than 20 years ago to escape persecution he experienced in Mexico as a gay man. Now he choreographs and teaches dances for quinceañeras in Mendota, Calif., a small town 35 miles outside of Fresno. “I think Mendota needed someone like me,” he said.

Aug. 20, 2019 8:06 AM PT

Claire Hannah Collins is a former video journalist at the Los Angeles Times. She was born in Hong Kong and lived in Amman, Jordan, until she was 18. Before moving to Los Angeles, she studied photo and video journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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